Abstract LB144: The short-term associations of air pollutants with inflammation and oxidative stress markers in the Korean population

Abstract Inflammation and oxidative stress responses induced by air pollutants are major biological mechanisms that can lead to multiple chronic diseases. We investigated the association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines, as well as a urinary marker of oxidative DNA damage in Korean adults (n=2, 199) from the Korea Genome and Epidemiology Study. Circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α, as well as urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), were selected as biomarkers of interest. We estimated a range of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM, PM10 and PM2. 5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), utilizing a chemical transport model. The exposure duration was defined based on 1- to 7-day averages. To explore the association between air pollution and biomarkers, we utilized multivariable linear models adjusting for major covariates, including demographic, lifestyle, relative humidity, and temperature. PM10 was linked to increased levels of IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α, and 8-OHdG, and PM2. 5 was associated with elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-10, IL-8, TNF-α, and 8-OHdG. With each 10 μg/m3 increase in the weekly average of PM, the largest magnitude of percent changes were observed for IL-1β levels (PM10: 2. 7%, 95% CI 0. 6 to 4. 8; PM2. 5: 6. 4%, 95% CI 2. 4 to 10. 5). NO2 showed statistically non-significant associations with any of the biomarkers. As a result, short-term exposure to ambient PM may trigger oxidative damage and pro-and anti-inflammatory responses. Citation Format: Kyoungho Lee, Ji Hyun Kim. The short-term associations of air pollutants with inflammation and oxidative stress markers in the Korean population abstract. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts) ; 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84 (7Suppl): Abstract nr LB144.